A heart-wrenching incident unfolded in Iowa, where a mother is accused of leaving her toddler son in a sweltering garage, a tragic oversight that ultimately claimed the young boy’s life.

Tiffany Huff Holmes, aged 41, now faces a grave charge of child endangerment resulting in death, according to court documents. This tragic event took place on June 28 at a residence located in the 24000 block of Hawthorn Drive in Bondurant, a suburban area not far from Des Moines, as reported by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The criminal complaint reveals a troubling narrative where Holmes allegedly “knowingly” abandoned her 3-year-old son for a duration that led to his death due to hyperthermia. Compounding the situation, Holmes reportedly admitted to consuming alcohol while she was entrusted as the sole caregiver for her child, whose identity remains undisclosed publicly.

Details from an application for a search warrant, acquired by the Des Moines Register, suggest the boy succumbed to the extreme heat in the sealed garage on a day when temperatures soared into the low 90s. Holmes allegedly recounted taking a nap, unable to recall the length of her slumber.

Upon awakening, Holmes reportedly discovered her son in a lawn chair in the garage, his lips a disconcerting shade of blue, his skin “hot to the touch,” and “extremely sweaty,” according to the details in the warrant. It is said that she delayed five to ten minutes before reaching out to 911. Guided by dispatchers, she brought her son inside the house to attempt CPR.

Cops rushed to the home, but life-saving measures failed and paramedics pronounced the boy dead. Investigators allegedly found a mostly empty bottle of vodka in the house. She reportedly claimed she drank the alcohol after she found her son dead.

According to the warrant, the boy’s father said the victim would not go into the garage and could not open doors, particularly the one in the garage, which was broken and had to be lifted to be opened. The father also said Holmes had abused alcohol for about five years and was not allowed to drink it.

Holmes turned herself in to the Polk County Jail on Sunday. She’s being held on a $1 million bond. Her next court date is scheduled for Jan. 2.